Star Hero Mega Man
by Vegeta the 3rd
Summary: When Izuku's father was presumed dead, so too did his dreams of being a hero. Three years later, a sentient alien wave known as Omega-Xis lands on his planet, looking for All Might. To stop the FM invasion, they must band together and become the world's newest defender, Mega Man.
1. Chapter 1: Brand New Way

Long ago, the Earth faced two groundbreaking changes that affected everyday life.

The first change was a physical change in the human body. It just happened one day in Keikei, China, when a baby with bioluminescent skin was born. A literal glowing baby! Imagine the surprise the parents had!

Following that, reports all over the world popped up, where people with exceptional powers started to emerge. Morphing limbs, controlling energy around themselves, or even changed/enlarged body parts. No one knew where these powers, these Quirks, came from, and no one really cared in the end. Exceptional was the norm. Fantasy was reality. And people could live out their dreams of being superheroes. Or villains, really.

The second change was a mental breakthrough in the field of science. With the wonders and possibilities of the internet waning down, a new connective network was founded through EM waves, and connected all over the world via three satellites; Pegasus, Leo and Dragon. This development led to many great inventions, more advanced cities and new modes of transportation to boot.

This also allowed the discovery and contact with extraterrestrial life! Quite recently in fact. Finally, the humans of Earth had discovered that they were not alone in the universe, and could make peace with friendly aliens! Or at least, that was the plan.

The space company, NAZA, launched a station called "Peace" to try and forge a connection with a discovered planet. A mysterious incident caused the station, and all the scientists on board to disappear without a trace.

Everyone worked hard to find the scientists, especially the heroes. But in the end, all they could find was a long section of the destroyed station of "Peace" floating in space. With heavy hearts, the search was called off.

It was probably for the best. After five generations, wave technology had evolved as far as necessary, and the force of Pro Heroes had never been stronger since All Might's debut. It was truly an era of Peace on Earth.

But not for long…

* * *

Star Hero Mega Man

Chapter 1: Brand New Way

* * *

The city of Musutafu was under attack! A giant monster with tendrils was rampaging all around him, causing buildings to crumble and traffic to jam. A number of heroes are already fighting him as well as containing the public away from the combat zone for their safety. An epic struggle the likes of David and Goliath relieved was about to unfold as the tree hero Kamui Woods prepared his ultimate attack-

"CANYON CANNON!"

A giant foot stomped the monster's face down to the pavement. Literally no one saw it coming, least of all Kamui. The attack came from a buxom woman in a skintight costume that left nothing to the imagination. She even coyly leaned back for the many photographers to get a good angle shot of her.  
"And so, for now and forever, the day is saved, thanks to yours truly, Mount Lady!" she proudly proclaimed with a pose and peace sign. After all, she managed to score the decisive blow on today's villain.

Villain attacks were almost common, as some people tried to fit into society as intended before the urge to commit crime swelled up. It had happened centuries ago before Quirks, and it would continue to occur as long as human nature wrestled with the notions of good and evil. And just as people were drawn to crime, there were heroes who rose up to stop them.

Fame. Fortune. Glory. Altruism. All these reasons, and many more, made up a Pro Hero.

All and all, another normal day in Musutafu. With the villain defeated, traffic via the magnet train could resume. No one was even worried about missing work, as the speed of wave technology meant everyone had time to spare.

"Oh man, did you see Mount Lady back there!?" A rock-skinned male gushed to two others sitting next to him. "She was so badass!"

"I want her to step on me someday. Her and Midnight both…" Another man wearing a Midnight shirt swooned. Fans of heroes came in all kinds, especially with powers as silly as conjuring plushies of his favorites.

"Hey, look at this video, guys!" The third of their group said, pointing to her armband with her extra right arm split from the elbow. "There's another hero-villain fight going on in France!"

"Oh, the Miraculous Black Chat and Dame Beetle Duo, right? They're the best!"

It didn't matter where in the world you were. The newest EM tech was the pinnacle of inter-connectivity. Email, phone, games, streaming, radio, anything you can think of, the Transer could do and then some. It was as common to see someone with a Transer on their arm as it was to see someone with a Quirk.

Not that there weren't any… hiccups, to the technology. One that the friends noticed quickly as the screen of the battle froze just before a hero and villain traded blows.

"DAMMIT!" The woman's third arm slammed down on the device. "Just when we were getting to the good part!"

"Even if it gets connection again, we'll still have missed part of the fight. Hero fights like these tend to end quickly," the man with the heroine plushies noted, checking his own Transer. "Maybe it's a virus."

"Again? Why does this keep happening?!"

"It's your satellite frequency."

The three friends looked over to a young boy with messy green hair and freckles sitting across from them in a corner seat. In his hand was a pen and a Campos-brand notebook, titled "Hero Analysis" over the cover. He was clearly writing something inside before he turned to the trio. He lifted one of his hands to tilt down an odd-looking pair of glasses over his eyes; they were green in color with white lines across them like waves.

"Two of your Transer devices are connected to the Dragon Satellite, which covers the eastern side of the world like Japan and Korea. Your friend streaming has the Pegasus Transer, which allows better connection to Europe and Africa, while Leo oversees North and South America regions. The waves you're receiving are slightly darker but that's expected. The differences are minimal now that the three satellites were renovated years ago because of defective problems. It doesn't really matter what Transfer model people get nowadays because the only real difference between them is the color; Red for Leo, Blue for Pegasus and Green for Dragon. The models are meant to complement and support each other, and provide a protective ID under one of three satellites in case of hacking or criminal activity—"

The boy continued to talk, overly focused on the trio. His voice grew softer and almost ominous as he got lost in his train of thought. Everyone on the train either looked at him with trepidation or tried their best to ignore him.

Eventually one of the men with the Dragon Transer conjured another plushie (deliberately malformed to look like a dust bunny with googly eyes) and threw it at him to stop. It bonked him at the forehead, successful. "Kid? We don't need a history lesson. How do we fix the virus problem?"

"Oh, right, sorry," the green-haired boy stammered, and lifted the glasses off from over his eyes. "It's just a stray streaming bug wave of Metools, so a quick reboot should clear them off. For the tougher stuff, you either need Hero Cards or a Satella Police officer to clear it."

"But if I reboot now, then the fight will be over by then!" the woman argued.

"Just get someone else to save the stream, then," the boy shrugged.

"We would if we could get the kind of connection speed she gets through Pegasus," the rock-man said. "Unless you have a solution to lag speed, too?"

"Well, are you Brothers?"

The three of them blinked, but none was more offended than the three-armed woman. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Huh? O-OH! No, no! Not a family brother! I mean one made by a BrotherBand!"

Realization dawned on the three quickly. "Oh yeah, I heard about those," the rock-man said. "It's like a friend-list feature connected by wave tech, able to talk to each other wherever."

"Something like that. It's strenuous for three satellites, let alone one, to give the entire world fast speed and deal with viruses all at once. Some data and streaming is only exclusive to certain satellites. Each Transer functions as a mini-satellite, so when BrotherBands are made, they can trade and stream to other bonded Transers even if they are connected to different satellites."

"No fooling?!" the rock-man exclaimed, turning to the three-armed woman. "Hey, let's be Brothers too! You and me!"

"What, are you kidding?" The woman argued, pulling her Transer back. "Being a Brother means sharing secrets and getting access to each other's personal info! There's been plenty of crimes that happen because one too many villains took advantage of someone's Transer data!"

"Come on, we've known each other for years! Transer secrets are not that big of a deal, and we would have to learn them eventually if we… you know~."

"The answer is still no!"

The rock-man sulked, and the multi-limbed woman snorted, both looking away from each other. The plushie man, sitting between them, leaned towards the boy and whispered, "Exes," as if to explain the situation. The boy mouthed an "Oh" expression and nodded.

"By the way kid, what's your name?" the plushie man asked, curious.

"Huh? Oh, I'm Izuku Midoriya," the boy answered. He was already looking back down at his notebook and scribbling notes. As far he knew, the conversation was over.

The plushie man tilted his head to read the cover of the book. "'Hero Analysis', huh? You plan to be a pro-hero too when you grow up, Izuku?"

Izuku's hand stopped, and his neutral face flinched slightly to a frown. "No," he said sadly. "I thought I did once, but it was just a stupid dream."

The trio of friends gave him sympathetic looks. "Yeah, I've been there," the rock-man said. "Tried out for the Hero course at U.A. and got turned down. They're brutal in admittance now and there's already so many pros out there fighting to climb the rankings."

"Y-you seem very knowledgeable about the BrotherBand and Transer, though," the woman added. "Maybe you could work hard enough to be a NAZA astronaut?"

Izuku's hand clenched tighter, enough that the sound of paper crunching was evident. But as soon as it happened, the boy's hand eased up. "Maybe, but I'm not too sure of that either," he said, and he rose up from his seat and walked down to get off the next stop.

"Hey, wait! Would you like to be Brothers with one of us?" the rock-man asked.

"No thanks," Izuku said. "I'm in a hurry."

"Don't you at least want a thank-you plushie?"

"Look mister, I really don't—"

The words died in Izuku's mouth as he stared in awe and wonder. In the man's hands was a plushie (most likely the power of his Quirk to conjure small objects like this in his hands). But it wasn't just any plushie. It was one shaped like a hero. And not just any hero either. "Is that… All Might?!"

A deformed, stuffed, and stubby looking version of All Might, but it was All Might nonetheless. The color of his red and blue uniform with white circle insignia in the softest nylon, a small leathery blue cape stitched on his shoulders, black slit eyes that on a doll would look more like sunglasses, and a bright, wide white grin, and iconic blond hair curls at the top of his head.

"I don't know what's wrong, but no kid should leave without a smile on their face," the plushie man explained, presenting the small toy to him. "I'm… usually better in making heroine dolls like Midnight, so it's not as good as it can be. I hope you like it all the same."

"I…" Izuku croaked, hesitantly reaching to accept the doll. "Th-Thank you, mister."

"It's the least I can do, helping us with the lagging problem." He then looked both ways and stage-whispered to Izuku in close proximity. "Just don't tell the Yaoyoruzu family or the Government about this. They have a bit of a guan-ho attitude about excessively creating stuff out of nothing if it's not hero work, let alone counterfeit selling."

Despite himself, Izuku laughed. "Your secret's safe with me, mister."

* * *

Sometime later, Izuku was leaving the local grocery store with a few bags in tow. "This should get mom and me by for the weekend."

As he walked back to the bus stop, he reached for his Transer on his wrist and started fiddling with it. Maybe it was the plushie, but Izuku felt compelled to pull up his favorite video. The only video he had saved on his Transer to watch whenever he could.

The debut of All Might, where he rushed into a burning building and carried as many people out as possible. With the incredible audacity to laugh jovially, turning a desperate situation into something hopeful.

It always ended with All Might carrying a huge load of people, a broad grin as he assured to everyone, "Fear not citizens; hope has arrived! Because I am here!"

It was something that resonated with so many people, Izuku especially. All Might was not only strong and brave, but a bastion of peace. Just hearing him say everything would be okay was as good as gold. Everyone loved All Might and wanted to be a hero like him. It was no wonder he was the No. 1 Pro Hero of the world.

Watching this video always brought a smile to his face. It gave him hope and excitement. It inspired him to be better. At least, until…

_"Your son will never have a Quirk._

_"I'm so sorry, Izuku!"_

_"Stop trying to pretend to be someone you're not, Deku!"_

Haunted by bitter memories, Izuku's fragile smile broke with a defeated sigh. "Who am I kidding?" he asked aloud, but to no answer. He turned off the video.

"There you are!"

Izuku stopped and turned to whoever called out to him. "Huh?"

Standing behind him on the road and pointing at him was a girl in a black school uniform and a red ribbon. The most defining feature, and one that immediately drew Izuku's attention, was her platinum blond hair, fashioned in two big, drill-like buns at the back of her head.

The girl's brown eyes hardened to a determined glare, complimented by a confident smile. Or smirk, really. "Izuku Midoriya. I've finally found you."

Izuku's mind went blank. He had never met this girl before in his life, and she was looking for him? The only intelligible thing he could utter was a dumbfounded, "Huh?"

"There's something I want to talk to you about, if you have the time. And given your circumstances, you have plenty of time to spare, I bet."

Wait. A girl wanted to talk to him? A GIRL wanted to TALK to HIM?! He was going to talk to a GIRL! This was too good to be true!

No, he had to calm down. No one ever wanted to talk to him. Not without a good reason. There had to be a catch. "Who are you?" he asked her. "And what do you want?"

"In order, my name is Luna Shirogane. And I'm here to induct you into Aldera Junior High School."

A cold knot formed in Izuku's stomach. "I-I'm sorry, I might have misheard. Did you just say—"

"Yes," Shirogane's smile was downright sardonic. "I'm here to bring you back to school."

Bitter, painful memories resurfaced so quickly that Izuku found himself trembling. Going back to school meant going back to all the mocking, laughing faces of his peers, to being reminded of how amazing and better they were compared to him. Worst of all, that might mean…

"Uh, by any chance," he asked slowly. "Is this the school Kacch- erm, Katsuki Bakugou goes to?"

"Bakugou?" Shirogane cupped her chin in thought. "Why, yes, he's in my class too. Practically a valedictorian in all but personality. He even has plans to attend U.A. next year."

Izuku's face paled, but Shirogane didn't notice. Rather, she looked excited. "It's perfect, actually! We have a seat opening in that class so you two can—"

"Not interested. Thanks anyway," he cut her off, and quickly hurried to leave—

Only to suddenly bump into a big bulky figure. "You best listen to what the Prez says."

Izuku gulped as he stepped back. Standing before him was a thick armed giant wearing an Alderan gakuren uniform (black shirt and pants), only with the sleeves torn off at the shoulders. His face was scrunched up like a bull with a big chin, and a pair of horns was growing out of his hair and curved out to either side of his head.

"Now you didn't think I would try to convince you without backup from my Brothers, did you?" Shirogane taunted. "Midoriya, meet Gonta Ushijima, my muscle. His Quirk is Bison, which gives him the characteristics of a bull. That means added muscle mass, strong bone structure, and even the horns."

As Ushijima exhaled a huff of steam like a real bull, and at that moment a smaller boy walked out from behind him. He too wore a black gakuen, though the sleeves and pant legs were rolled up a bit, showing that he was too small for the uniform. In fact, he was one of the shortest boys Izuku had ever met, only sticking out because of his messy brown hair, thick glasses, and smug look on his face.

"And this is Kizamaro Saishoin, my adviser. His Quirk is Temple, and it allows him to create a library sanctuary around him to study even faster than the standard radio connection between Transers."

"It was thanks to my Quirk we found out about you," Saishoin proclaimed.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Izuku asked. He really didn't like getting cornered by these three people.

Shirogane brushed her hand behind her over her thick hair bundle. "I am the Representative of my class, as well as President of the Student Council. I've earned plenty of accolades to earn me a place into any high school in the country, except for perhaps the hero course schools. I have almost achieved all that I could for a perfect graduation, or so I thought."

Saishoin started pacing around Izuku, appraising him from head to toe with a hand over his frames. "In my research, I came across a fascinating discovery. You were admitted into Aldera Junior High, but never showed up for a single class. You have been homeschooled for the last two years and are about to continue onto your third year before you go to high school. You are technically on the record as an Aldera student, even though you are not penalized or graded on your attendance, or lack of."

"Long story short, the Prez needs you to go to school so it can make the school, and herself, look better for her future high school," Ushijima said. "Starting today."

"Tomorrow." Saishoin corrected him.

"Tomorrow. Thanks, Kiza."

Izuku had the distinct feeling that he should be mad. These three strangers he never met from a junior high school he probably wouldn't have known in normal circumstances, coming and expecting to drag him to school for their leader's ego than his own good. And maybe he was.

But more than anything, he was feeling miserable, wanting to be anywhere but here. He tried once again for diplomacy. "But I really don't want to go to school. Please excuse me," he pleaded, attempting to walk past Shirogane this time. Maybe if he doubled back he could find another bus stop on the other end.

So far so good. She didn't try to stop him from leaving her, but he barely made a few steps past her before she asked him, "Don't you want to attend U.A. as well?"

Izuku stopped. Who wouldn't want to go to U.A.? Ever since Quirks started becoming mainstream and everyone wanted to be a hero, schools that specialized in teaching the hero course popped up all over the world. And in Japan, there was no school with a better hero course curriculum than U.A. High. Some of the greatest Pro Heroes had attended U.A., including All Might. It was a dream school for any inspiring hero-to-be.

"If you plan to go to high school, much less pursue a career as demanding as a Pro Hero, you need to stop this shut-in home-schooling life," she said. "You only have one year left. Do you want to waste that time sitting at home?"

"...do you even know the reason why I stopped going to school?"

Saishoin flinched, but no one noticed. Ushijima just blinked, while Shirogane shrugged. "It doesn't matter what the reason is," she said. "It would be better for the both of us if you just come back to Aldera."

"Better for you, maybe. But not me," Izuku said sadly. "There's no reason for me getting into U.A., so there's no point trying."

"How do you even know that without trying? I bet even someone with a Quirk like mine, hopping to great heights, can make a career as a Pro! I'm sure you have a great Quirk—"

"Less."

Shirogane paused. "What was that?"

"I'm Quirkless," Izuku told her. His head dropped lower as he did. "I don't have any kind of powers like you or your Brothers do."

Shirogane shot a quick glare at the now skittish Saishoin. The small bespectacled boy tried justifying himself, explaining, "You only asked to rely on relevant information."

_And how in the world was a Quirkless status not relevant?! _she wanted to scream. No, never mind. This could still work.

Sighing, Shirogane tried again to appease him. "U.A. has removed the restriction on Quirks needed to try out for the hero course recently. You can still apply while Quirkless. And there's also the general, support, and business courses to consider, too."

Izuku didn't respond. He just started to walk away again. Shirogane growled, moving to stop him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey! I'm saying you still have a chance to get into your dream school! Are you really going to let this slip by?"

"I _never_ had a chance."

The very tone of the boy's voice gave Luna pause. It was full of self-loathing and bitterness… it felt so familiar, too. She barely recognized him rolling his shoulder to remove her grip as he started walking away again. "Now leave me alone."

Luna hesitated… for about four seconds. She then gathered her wits and called out to him, "This isn't over, Midoriya! I'll drag you back to school if I have to!"

School was already over for today, so there was no point in trying to drag things out now. She just wanted to give him a proper warning and test how diligent he was against going. For better or worse, this encounter was informative.

"What do we do now, Prez?" Ushijima asked. "Give up?"

"Of course not! It would be silly to give up so soon before we even started trying," Luna scoffed. "We just need more information on Midoriya, to further our research and plan of attack."

Saishoin saluted to her. "I'll get on it, Madam President."

"See that you do, Kizamaro. And this time?" She leaned forward towards him with a look of both boredom and annoyance that left him shaking in his shoes. "_Leave nothing out._"

* * *

Elsewhere, in the reaches of space far, far away, a battle broke out among the stars. Lights of myriad colors collided with one another, intent on chasing the spark of blue. Though the blue light was moving fast, the others were just as fast, if not more so.

Landing on a stray planetoid, the blue light dimmed, and the figure inside materialized into a solid form. The waves of his figure blurred as he exhaled a deep breath, before he appraised himself. He resembled something of a canine ghost with an angular, metal face, sharp teeth, and red eyes. A mane of green plasma melded right in with the rest of its incorporeal body, held together by blue metal armor and gauntlets.

For good measure, the canine ghost patted his chest plate. "Form's still stable. That's good, at least." He looked up towards the starry sky, searching for his ever-distant destination. "But at this rate I might not make it there in time…"

Moments later, the myriad lights chasing him all landed on the same rock he was on, surrounding him in a large circle. He could make out their shapes faintly through their still glowing and active auras. A pale swan. A coral crab. A lavender harp. A bronze scorpion. A verdant snake. A scarlet dragon. A pair of golden masks.

Wow, half a dozen of FM's finest after little old him. He felt both honored and worried.

"Nowhere to run now, Omega-Xis," the dragon said, extending a claw out to him. "Hand over the Andromeda Key."

"If you comply now, I'm certain his Majesty will forgive your violent transgression," the twins added.

Omega took a long look at the opposition glaring at him before looking directly at the twins. "Will the king promise not to use it if I do?"

"Don't be stupid!" the swan said. "The point of having the key is the ability to use it!"

"It is our tool for universal conquest," boasted the scorpion. "It would be foolish not to use it!"

"And everyone is okay with this?" Omega asked.

He noticed that the crab and harp were the most uncomfortable of the lot. The snake folded her arms and simply stated, "It is what his Majesty wishes, not that a traitor like you would understand."

"Traitor, huh? Well excuse me for not being on board with seeing a superweapon destroy planets like AM ever again."

Though the expression of their form didn't change, the pair of masks was irritated and rippled with an energy discharge. "You had your chance, Omega. We'll settle for taking the Key after we delete you from existence."

The seven figures surrounding Omega started to glow brighter, ready to attack. Despite this, Omega looked calm as he turned his gaze out to the stars again.

"You know, I've heard that Earthlings have special powers too, like us," he said conversationally. "They call them Quirks, and even give them names to better define how unique their power is."

"Who cares about the stupid Earthlings?!" the dragon roared. "They are just insects to the might of EM beings, especially the FM-ians!"

"True, but something about power naming sounds endearing and with purpose. For example, if my power was a Quirk, I'd call it 'Shooting Star'."

"And why would you pick a name like that?" the scorpion scoffed.

Omega grinned. "I was hoping one of you would ask."

Just then, he too started to glow and shimmer in power. But it was a brighter light than the ones surrounding him, almost blinding their own.

"What?!" the crab panicked. "He's been holding back this whole time?"

"No," the harp said. "He's charging for a great leap."

"What?!"

"Stop him! OPEN FIRE!"

The FM-ians attacked in unison but were a fraction too late as Omega vaulted far into the void like a cannon. The planetoid was destroyed but the rogue EM being escaped, hoodwinking his former comrades in the process.

Omega-Xis gave his pursuers one last smug grin and expressed a rude, human gesture he learned with his finger, whether they could see it or not.

"So long, suckers!" he jovially mocked. And he soared farther into space with a slight but valuable head-start from his pursuers.

* * *

At a young age, Izuku Midoriya learned a cruel truth. Not all humans were created equal.

But maybe the saying should be changed to that not all beings were created equal, as there has been research proving there was life outside of Earth.

Point is, growing up Quirkless was devastating for a young boy who wanted nothing more than to be a hero like All Might. A hero without powers… some said that it could be done, but only in fantasy stories or comic books. The danger of being a hero was very real, as people could and had died rescuing civilians or fighting a power was not a guideline, but a prerequisite.

He arrived home with no further incident, and before long it was dinner time. The food his mother cooked was delicious, but it was a tense, somber meal regardless. No one knew what to talk about, so they usually didn't say anything.

Eventually, Inko Midooriya tried anyway. "So, Izuku… how was your day?"

"I saw Mount Lady defeat a villain up close this morning," he said. "He was big, but she had a size-growing Quirk to fight back so it evened out."

"Oh, h-how interesting." She clearly didn't see the subject of heroism as interesting, but it was the thought that counted.

"Some kids also tried to coerce me into going to school."

"Oh! Are they your friends?"

"I don't have friends, mom," he told her. His eyes glanced longingly toward his Transer, unattached on the corner of the table. "Not since Kacchan."

"R-Right, sorry…"

Again the room was silent. Izuku continued to eat, but his mother stared at him with worry. She tried talking to him again. "But, don't you want to go back to school? Even a little?"

"Not really. I mean, before I probably wouldn't have minded all the teasing but now that Dad's gone…"

His eyes wandered to the third seat at the table, across from him. There used to be plates of food set there even as a joke, for the rare time when he came back from his long space trips and research. Now it was just vacant.

A lot could happen in three years.

Suddenly Izuku lost his appetite. "I'm… going to go out now. Thanks for the food, mom."

Inko opened her mouth to say something but found herself unable to trust her voice. Instead she nodded, trying to offer a comforting smile.

She didn't realize she was crying until Izuku left.

* * *

Izuku went to his usual spot, Tatooine Hill, just at the edge of the city. The site of the barren sand and gravel was originally planned for construction of a racing track, but the plan was scrapped due to constant repairs from villain attacks.

Izuku preferred this though. No one would come out to a barren hill out in the middle of nowhere, which meant no interfering city lights for stargazing. In fact, the hill was a perfect spot for stargazing with its precarious height that if more people knew about it, Tatooine Hill would be a popular dating spot.

He hiked to the top and laid down on the hill. He checked his Transer; the time read 6:04 PM, just a minute or so before sunset, and he could see the sky dimming to a brilliant orange-red twilight.

Izuku slipped the glasses down over his head, watching the myriad of radio waves trail across the sky. There was no true shape to radio waves, just different colors based on their frequency and the shape of their receiving and transmitting signals. It was like trying to pick apart building blocks to figure which wave was from where before they left his field of vision.

He tilted the Visualizer over his eyes, always fascinated at how these glasses could reveal a different side of the world to him. Eventually he pulled them off his head and looked at them more carefully in his hand. An amazing tool… and treasured keepsake made by Hisashi Midoriya.

"Dad…"

As he turned the glasses around, something caught his eye off the lens. He put the Visualizer back on, seeing waves move downward from the sky instead of across from it. At first, they looked like regular oblong shapes that represented waves.

But as they flew closer, he could see more defined shapes and colors in them. One wave took the form of a blue-green streak with a canine-like silhouette inside. The one chasing behind it was red-orange in color, and had draconic wings unfurled and gliding.

"What in the—?!"

Seconds later, the two comets crash-landed a short distance from the hill. The double impact caused the whole of Tatooine Hill to shake, and in turn caused Izuku to tumble over and roll down the hill.

"Whaaaaaaaaah~!" he screamed as he barreled down fast, kicking up a dust cloud as he did. He eventually reached the bottom and came to a hard stop upon slamming into something hard. "ACK!"

Pain. That was painful. He almost blacked out right then and there from a tumble into some chunk of concrete. He knew he wasn't as fit or strong as other boys his age (with Quirks) but it was honestly a bit embarrassing.

He considered just sitting there to let the pain go away slowly, but he shot up like a bullet as he saw his backpack roll down in front of him, empty. "Ah, my stuff!"

Izuku quickly gathered his bag and collected his things that had scattered up a little higher on the hill. Pens, old notebooks, the plushie from this morning, even his collection of Hero Cards (luckily still sealed in their All Might themed tin case).

A static-y voice interrupted his search with the intensity of Kacchan's yelling. "This is as far as you go, Omega-Xis!"

Izuku stiffened and looked around. There was no one here but him. Even as he looked towards where the sound came from, over a small ledge he was suddenly hiding close behind. There was nothing there but a large crater.

"Draco. I guess I have to give you credit for catching up to me first."

Another voice, just as rough and headstrong but also defiant. And he still couldn't see anyone.

Were they… the radio waves he saw fall from the sky? No, that couldn't be right. Even among Quirk-users people couldn't simply turn into a wave form for so long, much less there being a hero or villain with that power. And people with similar Quirk natures were rare and few in number, you were more likely to see it among family than anything else.

Still, he slipped his Visualizer over his eyes and was surprised to see the two figures from earlier before him. A blue armored metal dog with green plasma forming its arms, mane and body, and a red-scaled reptile with claws and wings held together by blood-red energy.

"If you care at all about your pitiful existence, you will hand over the Andromeda Key now!" the dragon roared and pointed. So that must be Draco.

"You want it so badly? Come and get it, you salamander."

The taunt proved effective enough to make Draco rush at him. "Omega-Xiiiiis!"

Izuku had to duck and cover as the two… what were they? Radio waves? Hero and villain? _Aliens_? Either way, their fighting was starting to get intense as the sand and debris of the area was kicked up like a storm, with resounding thunderclaps of explosions echoing over the desolate area.

He had never been this close to an actual fight before. Usually there were other Pro Heroes or police maintaining a barricade to keep the civilians from getting too close to the crossfire and protect them from being potential casualties/hostages. But there was no one here, and it scared Izuku. For all he knew, both of them could be villains wrapped up in a power struggle.

_I have to get out of here,_ he thought.

Slowly, he crawled away from the fighting, trying to drown out the sounds in his mind. _Just need to walk around the hill and then make a run for the train station._

BOOM! "AAAAH!"

Izuku jumped back, startled as an explosion erupted right in his escape path! When the dust settled seconds later, Draco was forcibly pinning down Omega-Xis down with one claw over his neck area. He quickly stepped back to hide, somehow avoiding the alien's attention.

"So much for your 'Shooting Star' Quirk," Draco said dismissively. "You wasted all that power just to get on this backwater planet, when you could have taken one or all of us out back at the planetoid."

Omega used his own claws to pry Draco's own off of him, glaring back at him with intensity. "Anything to get the Andromeda Key out of the FM King's grasp is a victory in my book."

"Your effort is wasted if you think this will set us back. Did you really think you could stand up against the full might of FM and Andromeda? You will die along with this planet for your treachery!"

From his hiding spot, Izuku choked down a gasp. Did he hear that right? There were aliens that wanted to destroy the Earth?! And this Omega… he was trying to stop them.

And surprisingly enough, Omega had a smirk on his face. "What can I say? I'm a bit of a fan for the heroics."

For some reason, Izuku thought back to what drew him to heroes, to All Might and the others. How they always fought to help others, and that All Might himself could save people with a smile. If an alien could do that, why couldn't he?

Quirks were the furthest thing on his mind, as was escaping. Just the realization that Omega was a hero. Draco was a villain. And right now, the villain was about to win.

"So this is how a proud FM warrior goes down; a traitor to his kin for some sense of mercy." Draco held his claws up, creating an energy ball as large as himself. "Say goodnight, 'hero'."

It was at that moment, Izuku did something incredible. Something that to this day he couldn't quite figure out why he did so or what compelled him to do it. Something that would forever change his life.

He ran towards the aliens to save Omega. "Watch out!"

* * *

A/N: Yay, a new story by me! Don't worry, I haven't stopped Fate/Reach Out or Hyrule League. It's just this story idea came to me musing on a forum one day and I decided to write it. I even played Mega Man Star Force Dragon just to prep me up for this (and I'm ashamed to have missed this back during the DS' lifespan). I plan to make this story shorter than my other ones so hopefully I'll finish it quicker, so let's have a wild ride with this one until then!

-Vegeta the 3rd


	2. Chapter 2: Begin to Try

Chapter 2: Begin to Try

* * *

Omega-Xis had erred. He'd followed the transmission to this location but had ended up in a barren landscape. Even worse, Draco had caught up to him and had plasma to burn. Their fight, if it could be called that, was rather one-sided in his opponent's favor.

However, he hadn't gotten this far by giving up when things seemed hopeless. Contrary to what Draco believed, Omega had _just_ enough energy to send him flying. The problem was that the FM-ian warrior was giving him no openings to exploit that opportunity, and now had the brave fighter at his nonexistent mercy.

That's when the human with green hair ran in.

He didn't look extraordinary, wearing baggy clothes and a pair of green goggles over his frantic eyes. From his size and appearance, he was probably an Earthling preadolescent. He was running their way though, hand outstretched to grab or push Draco. He must have expected something more as he slipped right through the FM-ian's body, and fell to the ground in a heap.

Draco sneered at the boy. "This is what humans are capable of? Pathetic."

Omega didn't think so, but he had a better response to Draco's arrogance. Instead, he immediately charged energy into his claws that were cupped close to his chest, and started to glow. Draco noticed but again, he was too late to stop him, let alone retaliate.

"Goodnight," he responded to Draco's earlier request, before sending him soaring over the horizon in a blue comet stream.

To his credit, Draco screamed his defiance, but it trailed off the further he flew. "OMEGA-XIIIIIIIIiiiiii…"

_Ding!_ went the shooting star.

Omega let out a relieved sigh, and his arms slumped in exhaustion. "Whew, that'll get him off my back for a bit, but now I'm really in trouble if someone like Cygnus or Taurus gets the jump on me next. Then again, I didn't see Taurus with the others back at the planetoid…"

"U-Um…"

"Oh, right, you," Omega turned to the small boy. "Not as clean as rescues go, but points for effort, I guess."

The boy flinched, obviously put off by his bluntness. But the hesitation only lasted for a moment before he pushed up from the ground and start babbling in excitement. "I have so many questions! What are you made of? Where did you come from? Who are you and that dragon guy? When did you enter the Earth's atmosphere? How fast were you going? Why were you two fighting?"

Omega was startled and uncomfortable with the boy's questions, and how rapidly he was muttering. He _could_ answer the boy's questions, but he didn't feel that he should. He also didn't have time to socialize with the Earthlings, not with the other FM-ians on their way.

Taking a good look over him now, this young kid looked rather scrawny. More cute than threatening really, what with the freckles on his face and endless chatter spraying from his mouth. Something about his face looked familiar though, and that visor…

_Nah, I__'__m overthinking it. Just a coincidence._

"Hey, kid," Omega said loudly and pointed at him, to break his jabbering. "Do you know where I can find a guy named 'All Might'?"

The boy seemed to perk up a bit more, digging into his bag and then flipping through a notebook so fast. "U-Uh, I heard that his hero agency is based somewhere in the Roppongi district in Minato—"

"Roppongi in Minato. Thanks," Omega said before he shot into the air and soared out over the city. Now that he knew the location of All Might, he just had to hurry over to him before the FM-ians arrived. With how fast he could move in wave form, he'd find this Roppongi district in no time.

Wait… he didn't know what a district was. Or what direction Roppongi was in for that matter. He had only just landed on this planet with no map or compass, let alone a direction to go in. Come to think of it, would secondhand descriptions of All Might's appearance be of use?

Realizing he would just get lost, he stopped and thought things over. He had a destination, so if he could figure that out through the planet's radio wave data, he could check there later. But how did humans get their radio data again? The blocky things on their wrists?

Seeing that he was in a city full of people now, he flew down to talk to the first person he could see; a male human in some short-sleeved clothing. "Hey, you. I need to ask for some directions."

"H-Huh?!" The man he greeted was startled and whipped behind him. His gaze looked all around him, but not directly on Omega-Xis.

Another human, possibly their friend or kin, noticed the other's reaction and asked him, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I just thought someone was talking to me for a minute."

"Probably just the wind, or a kid playing pranks with their Quirk. Happens a lot more than you think."

"What are you talking about?! I'm right in front of you!" Omega-Xis roared in indignation.

"There! There it is again!"

"Calm down. Let's just keep walking and let the police or Pros handle this."

The two humans continued walking, leaving the alien hovering there in disbelief. Moments later, another human walked through Omega-Xis, completely oblivious of the conversation a minute before, and didn't notice the slight blurring and phasing of their two bodies passing by.

It was enough to remind him that he was made of electromagnetic waves and plasma, and humans had a limited vision scope towards waves. They could hear him, but unless they had some sort of special filter, they couldn't _see _him.

Suddenly the task of finding All Might just got that much harder.

"Maybe I should have checked that kid's device instead…" he mused aloud, floating back to the sky. He weighed his options as he looked back where he had flown from, the sandy construction site with a hill, and a stuttering boy. He had hoped that following the coordinates he got would take him to a city, or at least some place closer to All Might. But all that was waiting for him was the kid, who probably didn't know anything.

Then again, there were a few too many coincidences with the kid.

"There had to be a reason why I was led here, right?" Omega asked aloud, but there was no answer. He sighed bitterly. "This was supposed to be a simple delivery…"

* * *

When the canine-like alien flew off so suddenly, Izuku felt devastated. He had so many questions to ask him, and more stuff to tell him if he wanted to find All Might, like where Roppongi was, or what All Might looked like. Maybe he could even ask the alien to make an autograph out to him!

But that was his wishful thinking talking again. No one really wanted to spend time with him. Not as a Brother, much less a friend. So it shouldn't have come as that big a surprise that he left the first chance he got.

The rest of the night flew by in a blur to Izuku. He watched the stars for hours, trying to recall which star was part of which constellation. He stayed a bit longer than usual, partly because of how stressful the day was, but also a secret, shameful hope that he would see the blue alien again.

It was already after his curfew, but he eventually left with a heavier heart than before. He was probably never going to see that alien again, and then it'd be business as usual.

The next morning, he woke up early to start his daily routine; get dressed, eat breakfast, run the Navi for home schooling, watch videos of hero exploits on the news or broadcast shows, eat dinner, stargaze, and then sleep. It was monotonous, but it kept him busy and away from soul-crushing reality.

At least he hadn't had any bad dreams lately.

"Good morning, mom."

"Good morning, Izuku."

Breakfast was another quiet affair. Luckily his mom didn't suspect that anything bad had happened last night, and he wanted to keep it that way. That encounter with the space aliens would probably never happen again, and she was already such a wreck. She'd been like that for years.

The doorbell rang which caused his mother to yelp in her seat, dropping her spoonful of rice in the process. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth agape with hands covering her crown, and her entire body trembled in fear. "AAAH! The door! Don't answer it!"

"It's okay, mom. I'll get it," he told her calmly, and hurried to answer the door. It couldn't be Uncle Mamoru; he knew better than to ring the doorbell and it was too early for one of his visits. So who?

"Hello, this is the Midoriya—" Izuku was half-way through making the greeting when he fully opened the door and saw a face he hoped not to see again. "Oh, it's just you, Shirogane."

"Good morning, Midoriya," Luna said, as if not hearing his dismissive response. "Would you like to go on a walk today?"

He didn't see Ushijima or Saishoin anywhere, but he could care less about her flunkies or the school. "I told you, I'm not going to school."

"You don't have to go to school today," she quickly added, before he closed the door. "Just walk with me as far as the gate. Then you're free to spend the day however you want."

Izuku stopped and stared. Oddly enough, Luna didn't have any of her haughty confidence from yesterday. Rather, she looked tense and… concerned?

"…what's the catch?" he asked. "You told me yesterday that you'd drag me back if you had to."

Frowning, Luna reached over to brush her towering hair back in an effort to look aloof. "I won't insult your intelligence or my dignity with lying. Yes, I'm still intent on getting you to attend Aldera Jr. High. Even if you resist until the last day of the year I'd still fight to convince you to go."

Well, if nothing else, at least she was honest about her intentions. Izuku couldn't help but admire that about her… even if she was intent on ruining his life.

"But given certain factors of your situation, my usual methods of persuasion would be a waste of time. So… let's start over, slowly. A walk would be good for you anyway."

"I don't know."

"Izuku, who is it?" His mother asked him. She peeked out of the corner of the wall in a cute manner but was still clearly rattled from the doorbell ringing.

Luna smiled and leaned over Izuku's shoulder to look at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Midoriya! I'm Luna Shirogane, and I was just catching up your son here!"

"Really? But Izuku said he didn't have any friends…"

"We are still acquaintances, that much is true. Which is why I was checking on him and hoping to get him out of the house for a little bit."

Inko slowly pried herself away from her hiding spot and walked over to the door. This Luna girl seemed nice enough. Inko then glanced awkwardly back to her son. Their feelings were of mutual hesitance. "Uhh…"

"Please, Mrs. Midoriya. Let me borrow him for a few minutes. I'm not forcing him to go to school if he doesn't want to."

Maybe it was Luna bowing down in respect, or how sweet her words sounded, but Inko wavered. "Well… if you're so certain, I suppose he can join you."

"Eh?" Izuku gasped. Did she really win his mother's trust so quickly? "B-But my home schooling!"

"It's only a few minutes, and you have plenty of time to finish your TeacherMan session later," his mother smiled at him, looking like her old self. "This could be good for you, Izuku!"

"But mom-!"

He didn't have much time to argue before a triumphant Luna snagged his arm and pulled him outside. "You heard your mother! Let's go!"

"What?! But I never said—!"

"Have a fun day, dear!"

"Can I at least get my shoes on first?!"

* * *

After Izuku slipped his red shoes on and grabbed his bag, he was reluctantly walking with Luna to school through the busy town streets. There were so many people around, either walking to school or waiting for the bus terminal. There were also cops and a few pro heroes (Kamui Woods and Death Arms) trying to keep the streets clear of traffic because of an alert regarding a sludge-like villain on the loose.

Izuku tried to remain calm, keeping his head down to watch the road or look at his Transer screen as Luna led him through town. Anything to make sure no one recognized him. Because if Kacchan went to Aldera, then the other kids he knew from up to middle school would too. He wasn't ready at all for this. Why did he let her talk him into this?!

Though to be fair, Luna didn't say anything. She didn't bombard him with reasons why he should go to school like he'd expect her to but didn't apologize for dragging him out either. This hardly felt like a baby step so much as a push off a ledge, though.

"So… TeacherMan, huh?" Luna finally asked. "I can't remember the last time I heard someone using a NetNavi."

Izuku shrugged. "NetNavis are still a boon to some scientists, at least with monitoring their Transers while they do their work, and that was before they got mass-copied into Navi Cards. As for why I use one, it was my uncle's idea."

"I see," Luna said. "I actually use a DriverMan card myself. Limited access edition, sadly, due to driving laws, but it's my preferred mode of transportation of getting to school."

"That's kind of cool," Izuku admitted. It wasn't uncommon for young teens to drive, and a build-in AI able to assist in driving was a big breakthrough years ago. Though it still came with its own caveats of malfunctioning devices to cause even more car accidents.

A silent moment passed as they crossed another street, and he finally asked a question circling in his head. "By the way, where are your Brothers?"

"Gonta and Kizamaro went on ahead. I told you I use DriverMan, so I had them drop me off at your apartment and let them park my GEM Z at the school."

"YOU HAVE A GEM Z?!" Izuku exclaimed. Short for Grafted Electromagnetism, a GEM was one of the most advanced, up-to-date car brands in the world, complete with a 600-horsepower engine that ran completely on EM energy. The Z model was best known for its luxury marvels and standard of renewable energy, as well as exorbitant price. And this girl had one as her personal limo?!

Luna smiled and brushed her hair back with a smug look. "Don't you know? The Shirogane family has a long history of running all types of business firms, including the GEM dealership. We're made of money."

"I-I see…" he stammered, trying to calm himself down. It was just a car. Just a very cool, very eco-friendly, expensive car that someone you knew had, he told himself. No need to get hysterical…

"Here we are."

To Izuku's surprise, the two of them were now in front of the school gate to Aldera Junior High. It was a normal-looking middle school, with nothing extraordinary about it. No special budgets or teachers for the academics, but not the worst place to go either. Or so he heard.

"You sure you don't want to come inside?"

Izuku glared at her. "I thought we agreed—"

"I know, I'm just teasing," Luna giggled. "Can't blame a girl for trying, though."

"Y-Yeah, I guess," he said, allowing a small smile on his lips. "W-Well, if that's all you need Shirogane, I better head over to the arcade store before someone sees me. Bye!"

As far as exits went, Izuku thought he had a good one planned. Just continue to walk forward and act casual. His eyes were on Luna for just a moment as he said goodbye, but he didn't see anyone walking right in front of him. The sudden impact knocked him off his feet and down to the ground.

"Watch it, shithead! I'm walking, here!"

Izuku flinched, and he felt every bone in his body go numb. That voice… oh, please let it be just a coincidence.

Slowly with trepidation, he raised his head to look up. He saw a uniform similar to the one Ushijima and Saishoin wore, but not tucked in fully. He could see one of the person's hands open up, a warning spark going off at the flat of his palm. Then Izuku saw his face; beady eyes, spiky blond hair… and a smile that suddenly blossomed on his face. The same confident smile he both admired and feared for years. "Well, if it isn't little Deku!"

Izuku tried to smile back but failed to move his lips any further up. "H-H-Hi, Kacchan."

"I was starting to think you died or something," he said as he helped Izuku up. Well, more like forced him up by his shirt collar, bringing him a little too close face to face. "But here you are, crawling back to me like a lost dog."

Izuku stammered as he looked away from Katsuki's eyes. It was bad enough to be in his general area, but Luna and everyone was now looking their way. "I-I was just passing through. Kind of a favor too, maybe, but I usually stay in my room around this time, except maybe going to the arcade store to check the new shipment of Hero Cards. But you'd know that too, wouldn't you Kacchan, you like collecting them back in the day too, and I bet you got a bigger collection over the last three– YIPE!"

As it was clear Izuku was rambling in a low tone, Katsuki dropped him like a lead weight and sneered at him. "Some things never change. You're still a weak, quivering loser who can't shut up."

"Hey Katsuki, look at this!"

Two students were behind Katsuki, one of them with a quirk that extended his fingers extremely long. Pinched between his index finger and thumb was a Campos notebook titled "Hero Analysis 13".

Izuku's eyes widened. "Th-That's—!"

Katsuki snatched the book and flipped through the pages. "Seriously?" he said after a quick skim, smirking down at Izuku. "You still write and research crap about heroes?"

"I-It's just a hobby, I know I can never be a pro anymore," he argued, reaching his hand out. "C-Can I please have it back?"

BOOM!

Without warning, Katsuki pressed his hand on a page and a loud explosion went off between them, startling everyone with equal parts surprise and cheering. Izuku himself flinched, torn between how loud and powerful the explosion sounded, and yet how much control there was to only blow up half the book instead of all of it. He actually took the time and effort to mark the blank pages.

Without warning, Bakugou tossed the book back to him, still steaming from detonation. Izuku could clearly see a big charred hole through nearly all the remaining blank pages… and possibly pierced through the back cover too.

"Congrats, Deku. You're the first nerd ever to get my signature," he explained smugly. "It'll only go up in value once I become the next top hero."

"Th-Thanks, hahah… you've gotten stronger since last time, Kacchan," Izuku laughed weakly in an attempt to placate him. "Good control, too."

"That's because there are two kinds of people in this world, Deku. There are the winners; guys who are born strong and showed greatness as early as grade school. People like me. Then there are the losers; pointless extras who sit in the background looking at stars all night. People like _you_." Katsuki moved close enough flick his finger at his Visualizer hanging over his forehead, letting off a small _pop_ off as he did. Izuki flinched again at the contact.

He walked past him, arms in his pockets and strolling through the crowd of students that quickly backed away from in response. "We all have our roles, Deku. I'm meant to be the best student to graduate out of this dump, and later ace U.A. You're meant to be a Quirkless nobody watching from the sidelines. But hey, at least you learned your lesson by now! I mean, you? A Pro Hero? Like that would ever happen!"

Katsuki laughed as he marched in school. All the other students did too, starting to gossip and remember the young Quirkless boy from grade school years back, and how he was the same one that used to follow Katsuki around. Word spread and by the end of the day, everyone remembered "Deku".

Izuku just stood and stared at the ground as the crowd of students thinned. For a good minute he frowned, fighting bitter tears ready to spill out of his eyes. To hide his eyes, he slipped his Visualizer over them, and calmly walked away. At least until he was out of view from the school and earshot of the students, before bolting.

* * *

"Three years. I've been avoiding him and everyone else at that school for three years, two months and five days, only for that streak to be ruined because some dumb, rich, cute girl with an agenda took me there. And of _course _the first words that come out of his mouth were insults."

Izuku usually rambled on about details that fascinate him, from hero stories to star constellations. He rarely, if ever, got frustrated as he knew the world wasn't fair and he shouldn't expect a break ever since he was dubbed Quirkless. But that disastrous meeting left him feeling more than a little mad and upset with a need to vent, even to himself.

He still had a small bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, Katsuki Bakugou would be nicer to him and they could have started over. But he was still the same proud, abrasive self that he'd been since grade school. Perhaps more so if he really was the class valedictorian.

"He didn't care about seeing me at all," he said, slowing to a stop in an alleyway. He felt too bitter to go card-shopping now. "Then again, he never cared when Tsubasa went missing, and he was one of the cooler kids who followed him. Who wouldn't want to have dragon wings for a Quirk, or to hang out with someone that has them?" His eyes trailed to his Transer. "Kacchan probably doesn't have a single Brother anymore. Not that he needs one…"

A BrotherBand should only be a simple friend app fad that faded into obscurity after a few years, but the meaning behind it stood the test of time. People with a long-lasting bond together tend to be the closest, being family members, best friends, or lovers. The BrotherBand gave both sides a sixth sense of how the other was feeling that went against mere science, and Pro Heroes had often saved other Pros or loved ones because of a pre-emptive on the BrotherBand.

Izuku had been so happy when Kacchan agreed to be his Brother years ago. A strong, confident boy like him that reminded him of cool heroes like All Might, was willing to let him be his friend for life! He wanted nothing more than to be a hero too, and maybe make it up to Kacchan someday for always being there for him.

All the more so when he found out he was Quirkless. No one wanted a Quirkless guy for a Brother, much less a friend. They'd all laugh when asked and think it was just a joke, as he'd have nothing to offer to them. Kacchan was his first, and only Brother for years.

And because of one mistake, also his last.

"No… stop thinking that," Izuku told himself, wiping his eyes as tears started to form. "You've done enough crying. Crying is not going to change anything. Just… go home and pretend this day never happened. It's better that way."

"Not for me, it isn't."

"WHAAA!" Izuku jumped and turned, immediately on edge. He looked around but saw nothing but old graffiti on brick walls and a trash dumpster. "W-Who's there?"

"It's me, Omega-Xis."

"Who?"

"Put on your specs first. You can't see me without them."

Izuku blinked. Something about that voice was familiar. And what did he mean by 'can't see'? Regardless, he slid the Visualizer over his eyes, and right away the blue alien from yesterday was in front of him. "Ah! It really is you!"

"Looks like my hunch was right. Only you can see me because of those glasses," Omega said to himself. "Hey, sorry for bolting out on you yesterday, but I need another favor."

"Wh-What do you mean? I told you where to find All Might, didn't I?" Izuku gasped. "D-Do you need directions? Or a map maybe?"

"Nah, I got that sorted out already. I spent all of last night reading through information on radio waves about the country layout. Some places were harder than others to reach because of less electric towers or radio signals in rural farms and stuff, but only by a few seconds."

A few seconds?! He was able to travel that far across Japan so quickly? Could he jump all over the world if he needed to? No, what a silly answer, he came from SPACE, presumably at light speed! Of course he could travel that fast!

"Incidentally I got more than enough reference to know for sure what All Might looks like now, just in case, and word has it he's been seen around this city lately," the alien continued. "The problem, however, is that even if I could find and meet All Might, he can't see me. Every human I tried to talk to thought I was some pranking kid or a villain out to jump them and refused to talk back. They are very distrusting about what they can't see."

"So, what does that have to do with me?" Izuku asked.

"What do you think, kid?" Omega asked back, pointing to him. "_You_ are going to introduce _me_ to All Might."

"W-Wh-WHAT?!" Izuku gawked. Him meeting All Might? That was way too soon and extreme to even think about! "W-W-Why me!?"

"You have the glasses that can see me. You're a witness to my battle with Draco. You have no other engagements or excuses either, as you're not attending a normal school. So in short, your role is to be the mediator and help convince All Might to listen to me."

"Wait, timeout! This is happening too fast!" Izuku yelled as he flailed his arms. "I want to meet All Might, sure, but you never told me what was so important that you had to find him anyway!"

Omega-Xis' eyes narrowed. "That's because it's not for you to know. What can a civilian do against the threat of an FM-ian invasion?"

"A WHAT?!"

"Zhidz, I was supposed to keep that part a secret," the alien grimaced, clicking something in his native tongue. "Well, that's all you're getting out of me, anyway. And that's how serious the situation is, got it?"

"Y-Yes sir," Izuku nodded. While the shock of an alien invasion was surprising, he was also saddened that he had been casually dubbed as a civilian. The very role this alien designated him for help was as a deliveryman. _Guess Kacchan was right. I am a loser._

Suddenly he didn't want to meet All Might anymore, not like this. Not even if it would be the only way he could ever get close to him, because he would never get to ask him his most important question. A thought struck him as he glanced at his Transer. "Wait, you're made of electromagnetic waves, right? That's how my Visualizer can see you. That also means you can just enter people's Transers and talk to them that way! Everyone has one, including heroes like All Might!"

Of course, as sturdy as Transers were, the damage and danger present in the life of normal Pro Hero work meant they were usually off during duty. Even then, some Pros used smaller, more compact Transer substitutes like earphones to stay connected while working.

But upon hearing Izuku's idea, Omega flinched, and suddenly looked very sheepish. He avoided eye contact and scratched his chin idly. "Yeeaaaah, about that… remember that part where I was getting information from radio waves? I might have attracted the attention of some local authorities that you call the 'Satella Police', and they have already posted warnings about a 'blue viral ghost' to be isolated and deleted at all costs."

Izuku sighed dejectedly. "Terrific."

"There _is _Plan B," he offered. "Right now, the Visualizer as you called it is the only means you or anyone else can use to see me. If you're reluctant to do it, I can just take them to give to some—"

"NO!"

His sudden outburst caused the alien to flinch away in surprise. Izuku was startled by his own reaction, crouching and holding the Visualizer down over his eyes with both hands. "I-I'm sorry, but this is more than just some pair of glasses. They're a keepsake of my dad. They're all I have of him, so I can't let anyone take them. Sorry."

Omega looked thoughtful, staring intently at Izuku's glasses. Or maybe his eyes, Izuku couldn't tell. "…what was his name?"

"H-Hisashi. Hisashi Midoriya."

An unreadable expression morphed over the alien's canine face, and for a moment Izuku thought his mouth curled up into a smirk. "Well that explains a lot," he said to himself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I won't take your Visualizer then. But that just means I need you to introduce me to All Might."

Years ago, Izuku would have no doubt jumped at the chance. A chance to meet All Might, no matter how small. He still idolized him from the bottom of his heart, and every other hero that fought to help others and keep them safe. But no amount of wishing on stars or hoping for the best was ever going to change three simple facts.

That he, Izuku Midoriya, was Quirkless.

That he, Izuku Midoriya, was Brotherless.

That he, Izuku Midoriya… was never going to see his dad again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, already turning to leave, and sliding his Visualizer back up to his forehead. "But you'll just have to ask someone else. I'm not… I'm just not…"

Not what? He couldn't even think of a proper word to end it on. But it got the point across. Whatever Omega-Xis needed him to be, he just wasn't the right candidate for him.

"Then why did you save me?"

Izuku stopped. Although his glasses were off, he still looked back to where the alien still was. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, at the hill. You clearly saw Draco poised to kill me. You had no reason to, but you rushed in to save me anyway."

"B-But I couldn't do anything," Izuku argued, looking down to the ground. "I just got in your way, and—"

"And gave me the vital few seconds of distraction I needed to get Draco off my back. It wasn't a flawless rescue by any means, but I'm still here now because of you."

A warm feeling grew in his chest. Relief, maybe? Happiness? He hadn't been praised like that since… had it been three years already?

The next words Omega said were surprisingly just as warm and encouraging. "You're the only one I can ask, Izuku. Please, help me save your world."

Again, Izuku was floored, but more so at what Omega-Xis had just said. Flipping the Visualizer over his eyes, he saw the blue-green alien stare at him intently. "How do you-?"

BOOM!

A distant explosion tugged at their ears. From behind Omega, a column of smoke was rising in the distance. "Another villain attack?" Omega asked. "You Earthlings sure get a lot of those."

"That's near the school," Izuku noted aloud, and a sense of panic seized his heart. "Oh no… Kacchan! Shirogane!"

"Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

_(Some time ago…_)

Kogane Kikyo cursed his luck. Things were simpler when he was a custodian at a big corporate building. Then again, they were also humiliating and degrading. A Quirk like Gelatinous and he was regulated to cleaning waste and slime from all the drainpipes.

Kikyo didn't regret killing that one smug bastard making jokes at his expense or going on the run as a Villain. In fact, he reveled in gaining notoriety while his kill count and power grew with each fight. But what he did regret, was getting too brazen. Getting into a fight with All Might and losing. You'd think a guy with a Quirk as simple as super strength would be easy to beat and anticipate, but he made heroes like Death Arms look like chimps compared to his gorilla-thick arms.

It was only by luck that Kikyo escaped and took to hiding in the sewage system, following the pipeline maze to a school bathroom. He needed more time and power before he could strike again. Most of the smalltime Villains failed like he almost did; having one too many easy wins before All Might stomped them down. He wouldn't go down like that. Not ever again.

"Hey Kiza, do you think that Deku guy's okay?" He heard a voice echo a bit. Curious, Kikyo poked his eye out through the toilet drain, careful not to disturb the water too much.

"His name is Midoriya, Gonta," another said; it sounded like they were together near the urinals. "And it's hard to tell, really. From my research, he was considered a very average student from his last school, and he lost his father from the Peace station disappearance three years ago."

Ah, it was so rare to get a two-fer, but Kikyo wasn't going to complain. With both of them still busy and looking at their chosen urinals, he had plenty of time to assemble himself for a sneak attack.

"Can't we just find another guy to drag to school?"

"You know how the President thinks; once she sets her mind on something there's no stopping her." That's right you stupid boys; keep talking about your day and what to do. It will be the last talk you'll ever have.

"But this is too hard! I can't be the only guy thinking that!"

"We just have to make due, Gonta. The President is counting on us."

How cute. They were devoted little kids, and it almost made him upset to kill them. _Almost._

"Yeah, I guess you're—RAAAAH!" The big oaf, Gonta, finally turned around and screamed. And saw Kikyo in his full, slimy glory, dwarfing him in size.

The little one, Kiza, also paled in fear. He was pretty short for a pipsqueak, so the size difference was especially apparent. "W-W-Who are you?!"

The Villain, lesser known as Kogane Kikyo, grinned like a shark. "I am Gel Devil, your worst nightmare," he hissed, before unhinging his jaw.

* * *

When Izuku returned to the school, there was a big crowd in front of the gate that he couldn't through even if he wanted to. Satella police cars and officers were barricading the entrance, sirens were going off, and smoke and fire were building somewhere inside the building. What's more, students and teachers alike were huddled just outside the barricade with officers calming them down. It was pure chaos.

The response was typical for a villain attack. They could happen anywhere, and schools were popular with plenty of young hostages to obtain. But villains usually attacked crowded places for theft and money, or vengeance on a person of interest. Schools and colleges that would warrant enough interest to attack usually had security measures for that very purpose, like U.A.'s steel gate. So why would a villain attack a low-end school like Aldera Junior High?

"Everyone, stay back and remain calm!" an officer called out to the worried kids and teachers. "The Pro Heroes Death Arms and Kamui Woods are handling the situation, and we just got word that Backdraft is on his way!"

That assurance eased Izuku's worries a bit. Death Arms was a strength-enhanced hero specializing in rescue ops, and Kamui Woods was a rising star that had a lot of versatility with his wood-manipulation Quirk. Together with the Firehouse Hero Backdraft, this incident should be properly resolved in no time.

"Who cares about those nobodies?" Katsuki roared from somewhere in the crowd. "Where the hell is All Might?!"

"Yeah, I want to see him fight! He's the #1 hero after all!"

"No villain can beat All Might!"

Izuku wanted to believe them. All Might had never lost a fight, and just hearing him say his catchphrase "I am here!" was enough to make him -no, everyone- feel like things would be better. It may feel like forever, but once the rest of the heroes arrived everything would be all right.

_But if Heroes always saved the day… why couldn__'__t they save dad or anyone else from the space station?_

No, this was different, right? This wasn't any of his business anyway, as he didn't go to this school in the first place. He was hanging back far enough that no one had noticed him yet, and he just needed to move along. If Kacchan was fine, then Shirogane would be too. Not that he cared about them anyway, right?

"Got another one here!" A voice called out from further back, and everyone saw Kamui Woods zipping through the air with his wooden arms extended out. He was carrying a small boy under his arm and released him as soon as he got to the barricade.

"Kizamaro!" Luna cried, pushing herself through the crowd to see him. So she was able to get out too, that was a relief.

Izuku couldn't see clearly from where she stood, but Saishoin looked muddy and cold, trying to hug himself for comfort even as a blanket was draped over his shoulders.

"Gonta," he rasped. "He's still in there."

Gonta… Gonta Ushijima? A pit formed in Izuku's stomach, and he could imagine Luna's own reaction as she heard that.

"It's okay now, Kizamaro," she said. "The Heroes are here. They'll save him."

The short boy still shivered and frowned, choosing not to voice his opinion. The two of them were then led back to the crowd by some officers, as one blue-haired officer turned to talk to the plantlike hero. "How does it look?"

Even with a mask on, the grimace was evident on Kamui Wood's face. "Pretty bad. The bastard is too tough and too slippery for either me or Death Arms to take down. On top of that, he keeps using students as body puppets. I was barely able to pry that kid out from that gunk."

The officer had a frown of his own, briefly glancing to the Transer on his arm. "Just try to stall him. All Might is on his way, I'm sure of it."

"Did you not hear the part about _kids _being used as _puppets_?" Woods argued defiantly. "By the time he shows up—!"

"He _will_," the cop cut him off. "He always shows up, and everything works out." Kamui Woods still looked put off, but he nodded and quickly headed back to the school building.

A numbing sense of fear seeped into Izuku's heart. There was no doubt that once All Might showed up, things would be fine. He would beat the villain like always. But what about the lives he wouldn't be able to save in time? What about Ushijima and the others still in the building? Would they be okay?

_This is… this is just like any other day! The heroes are here. All Might will be here. And then everything will be__ fine._

No, he knew that no one was created equal. Just like some people were unable to be heroes, some people just couldn't be saved. The heroes couldn't save his dad back then, and there might not be a chance to save Ushijima and the others in time. It was just how cruel life could be at times.

Izuku turned and walked away. He had to get home and get started on his home-schooling session. His mother would be worried if he was gone for too long. He should be back home, safe and away from all this. Besides, there was nothing he could do here.

There was nothing he could do.

_There was nothing he could do._

_Nothing._

"_Then why did you save me?"_

The thousand voices all screaming in terror were suddenly silenced. Omega's words from earlier echoed in his head, as if taunting him. He had rushed to save someone he never met before, at the risk of his own life, and what did he have to show for it? Nothing… but an alien's gratitude.

But did that really matter? He knew that Pro Heroes wanted to be compensated or admired for the risks they took, and that was perfectly fine. Izuku simply wanted to be a hero like All Might, someone who could make others feel safe with a smile.

He was Quirkless. Weak. Told all his life that he was a nobody. He had no stake in this, no reason to get involved, not to mention it would be illegal. There were hundreds of reasons why he couldn't, shouldn't, _wouldn__'__t_ get involved. And yet… and yet…

"_You can be anything you want to be, Izuku. Even a hero."_

Another explosion went off. And without thinking, Izuku sprinted forward.

Straight through the crowd, under the barricade and into the school. He was just about to reach the front door before anyone noticed him.

"Wait, someone's running in!"

"What's that kid think he's doing!?"

"Wait, isn't that—?"

"Deku?!"

"Midoriya!"

"No, get back! You'll die!"

He should listen to them. He should turn back, but he couldn't stop running! He pried the door open and rushed inside, still moving on instinct.

And from behind the crowd, watching the whole scene play out, a disgruntled EM being hums in thought. "Again, you rush into trouble, huh kid? Just like your old man…"


	3. Chapter 3: We are Mega Man

Chapter 3: We Are Mega Man

* * *

For once, Izuku regretted never coming to school. He didn't know where any of the rooms or stairs were, so the building felt like a maze. His mind only briefly lingered on that thought though, as he was still running on an adrenaline high.

He knew for a fact that he couldn't face the Villain at all. Even if he had a Quirk, it was illegal for anyone without a Hero License to fight Villains or get involved in national disasters. Besides which, the Heroes were struggling just to hold him back, so he must be very dangerous.

The hallways alone were an indicator of how serious the situation was. Lockers had been smashed, floor tiles cracked, and doors were held in place by half their hinges. There were also snapped roots and blobs of slime around, too.

Maybe he could be a distraction, so the Heroes could rescue the rest of the hostages? No, that would endanger him and make their job harder. Any overeager bystanders trying to do that would only cause more trouble.

The only real action he could take was to find and get anyone out without the villain noticing (and maybe the heroes too, preferably). But… could he do that if they were being held captive by the villain?

BOOM!

A loud explosion of brute power shook the building and tripped Izuku mid-run. He could still get out, he realized. Still escape. He would get reprimanded by the cops for being reckless of course, but he would be safe.

But then who would make sure Ushijima and the others were safe? That thought alone kept him going.

_Drip._

A blob of gunk landed on the tile next to his foot. Slowly, Izuku fearfully raised his head, almost expecting the villain in mid-leap. But it was just a large pile of sludge splattered over the ceiling. He nearly choked down a scream upon seeing a wide-eyed student staring right back at him. His mouth was gagged but he looked so scared that he would blend in further with the muck if it would help him hide. And he wasn't the only one. It was almost like some sort of horror movie… No, no time to think about that.

As Izuku turned the corner of a hallway, he ducked back. He could see the heroes fighting the villain further down. He recognized the backs of Kamui Woods and Death Arms right away (slender with black and brown and a bodybuilder with yellow-black striped construction equipment respectively), and he didn't need to be told that the big imposing figure of dark green sludge was the bad guy.

Okay, there they are.

There was a rising, sinister laugh that he could assume originated from the sludge villain. Against his better judgment, Izuku peeked back around the corner to see what was happening. "Your Quirks suck! Not even worth a warm-up!" the sludge villain boasted. His voice was as gargled and warped as his intended motives.

"Keep talking like that, smart guy," Death Arms growled back. "It'll make the satisfaction seeing you behind bars that much sweeter."

"'Behind bars'? You and every other heroic wannabe haven't caught me in years!"

"Big talk, coming from a guy that ran from All Might like a whipped dog yesterday," Kamui Woods said. "You may defeat us, and may even slip away from All Might again, but sooner or later justice will see that you pay for your vile actions!"

The sludge villain chuckled. "That's what a lot of brats and heroes said to me too… before I killed them."

"BASTARD!" Death Arms roared, charging with one of his thick arms reared back.

The sludge villain recoiled, his entire body rippling as if ready to disperse. But then something started to emerge. A black uniform, then arms and hands…

Izuku nearly gasped. Kamui Woods flinched and Death Arms stopped dead in his tracks. _Ushijima!_

"Go ahead and hit me! Unless you want to put a hole through this brat's fat gut too!"

"You monster," Kamui Woods muttered darkly, already extending his arms into long-reaching branches. "You kidnap children and then hide behind them?!"

The wooden appendages skewered the villain's body and around Ushijima's. They clenched together as if forming a fist to pluck him out.

"Not this time!" the villain shouted. His body pulsed as he formed an enlarged slimy limb shaped like a hammer with a curved edge over the face. Then he swung down and effortlessly snapped the limbs like they were mere twigs.

Kamui was shocked, but his partner luckily gathered enough wits to jump at the boy while the arm was down. Seeing this, the villain pulsed again like a vise, and was suddenly covered with large spikes that skewered out. A good number of them pierced Death Arms just before he was in arms' reach.

Izuku fought the urge to scream as he saw the hero lose blood and make an awful sounding cough. Kamui luckily pulled him back to keep a safe distance between them and the villain, but the situation was looking very dire now.

"Even if you somehow manage to rescue the rest of the brats, there's no way I'm not letting this one go!" He stomped menacingly towards them, flinging chunks of goo at them.

Kamui Woods was too tired to dodge in time, and Death Arms was already down and injured. In no time, the villain had pinned both of them in his gunk.

The wood-based hero scrunched his eyes and tried to break free, but only his head seemed to react. "Can't… move!"

"I would hope not! I need to properly digest you first!"

"D-Digest?!"

"You want to know a little secret about my Quirk?" he smirked, allowing Ushijima to sink back inside him. "It breaks down anything it touches over time and absorbs it into the mold. It's useful for cleaning up scum and shit, although it leaves me stuck with the filth later. But then I had a thought. If I could take on properties of filth, could I do the same to people with their Quirks?"

"No… you didn't!"

Gel Devil's grin was simply malicious, in spite of Kamui Wood's scowl and increased struggling. "It's never easy, as it takes forever to break down a human being, but I find it easier to just…" He moved an arm-like appendage over to his face. "_Suffocate them first._"

Clang.

His arm stopped. Gel Devil looked up but didn't see anyone else in the hallway. Not anymore anyway.

"Well, looks like another brat escaped," he said, still grinning. "I'll be back for you two later."

The villain then left to stalk his new target. He was in no rush to find him; he relished the anticipation, of giving them the hope of escape before he took that and their Quirk away.

* * *

This was bad. This was very, very, very bad!

Izuku didn't mean to, but the shifting of his foot into a broken piece of pipe had caught their attention, and now the villain was going to find and kill him! All he could do was run through the halls and try to find some kind of hiding spot; the upper floor helped with that. It didn't occur to him to try and pry the other students out from their cocoons, for what good his Quirkless hands would do.

Even so, he could only run for so long before he was found, and the pro heroes would have their hands full trying to fight the villain while protecting civilians. And Backdraft was not going to do much in a fight spraying down a muck monster!

_No, that__'__s not right_, he thought. Heroes learned to adapt their Quirks to any situation. A bad match-up didn't mean they couldn't do something. They'd figure something out, like… like finding a weak point.

His mind was reeling back to that conversation, and his pacing stopped as he formulated a plan. This villain… he was afraid of All Might. Most villains would be, of course, but the fact that it was a common fact didn't refute it being a weakness. It wasn't like he could disguise himself as All Might on a dime though. All he had was his backpack full of junk like his…

…like his plushie and his Hero Cards!

A loud stomp shook him out of his epiphany; the villain was looking for him but was being deliberately patient to instill more fear in him. That meant he had time, and Izuku set to work immediately.

"I hope this works…!"

* * *

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~!" Gel Devil sang. He caught a whiff of the boy trying to go to the upper levels, which was stupid. It meant less places to escape back outside.

"Aha!" Kid wasn't very bright it seems; he was still running through the halls and even balked as soon as they made eye contact.

To his credit, he tried doubling back where he came from, but Gel Devil extended his arm to hurl a chunk of his bulk out that blocked the hallway. Amazing what possibilities one could do with Division and Hive Mind Quirks working together. "Nowhere to run now, brat!"

The green haired boy stuttered, still trying to put distance between them as he held his hands out in surrender. "Pl-Please don't eat me!"

"'Eat you'? Oh, that should be the least of your worries, kid. Because eating you means I would kill you right away. I'm just going to digest you whole, and then take your Quirk for myself!" At that declaration, his arm started to reform and extend out to pluck him up from the floor.

"But I don't have a Quirk!" he blurted out.

Gel Devil paused, leaning closer to give the boy a better look. He'd assumed based on the brat's appearance that he'd be an Emitter or Transformation type, but did he really have no Quirk to speak of? "Seriously? I've never actually seen a Quirkless schmuck before." After a moment of deliberation, he moved his slimy limb closer to the scared boy. "I've never digested one either. If nothing else, you'll make for another bargaining chip."

"_**Fear not citizens! Hope has arrived!"**_

Gel Devil stopped. The sudden powerful voice came over from the window, leaving a silhouette of a very familiar figure. The muscular form, the confident pose, the long hair antennae making a V-shape.

No… it couldn't be!

"_**Because **_**I**_** am here!**__**"**_

Gel Devil trembled and bubbled, slinking down from his imposing form. "A-A-All Might? All Might's here already?!" No, he hadn't get stronger yet! He had no chance of fighting All Might like this!

Maybe he could have taken him with a surprise attack, or having properly digested a new Quirk, but that moment was gone. And he couldn't hope to escape this time with three or four heroes in the school. Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen at all!

"_**Fear not citizens! Hope has arrived!"**_

Huh?

"_**Because **_**I**_** am here!**__**"**_

Gel Devil looked up. Why would All Might repeat his catchphrase like that? Slinking closer to the Number One Hero's figure, he now saw there was not All Might, but a stuffed plushie in his likeness in front of a flashlight. Right behind it was a brick-shaped media player set on repeat with the iconic sound coming out.

"_**Fear not citizens! Hope has arrived! Because**_** I**_** am here!**__**"**_

"A Hero Card…?" Not only some sort of plush doll, but he had been fooled by a Hero Card Player on a ten-second loop?! He'd gotten worried over nothing but a… a crude distraction!

"Fighting Fefnir, execute!"

Gel Devil turned to see the boy from before holding his Transer out in front of him, suddenly with a determined look in his eye. The Transer hummed with an orange light and shot out dual flame exhausts forward, just barely burning the villain in the process.

"Gah! That hurts, you brat!" Wait, was he trying to burn him? With a puny Hero Card, at that? Did he not have Endeavor, or something?

Gel Devil would have scoffed and absorbed the stupid brat, but he found it hard to move his arm. In fact, his entire body was hardening up from the heat, spreading the most from where the heat was. And as cracks formed, slime started to leak out.

"Wh-What the hell?! I can't hold— my— form…!"

Izuku didn't know what the compound of this villain's viscous form was, but he estimated it to be mud gelatin of some sort. Mud was essentially dirt mixed with water, and while gelatin remained solid at room temperature, it melted into a liquid when the heat broke apart the bounds in the water molecules. If brute force couldn't stop the villain, and he could shape his mass freely, the best way to achieve victory would be to catch him unaware and hope that water cycle physics applied.

Which they did.

"GAAAAAAH!" With a final scream, the Gel Devil popped like a water balloon, covering Izuku and the floor in his gunk. Consequentially, this meant the captive inside him was now free.

But Izuku was frozen in shock from what he had just did. He didn't think his plan would work so well. Well enough to actually kill the villain, anyway. No… he had a theory that if the villain could freely detach parts of his body out like that, then he couldn't die. Just now he could see parts of the sludge starting to move on their own and slide off his body, trying to reform.

Good news? He wouldn't bear the guilt of murder. Bad news? The villain wasn't going to be as lenient.

Shaking those thoughts aside, Izuku turned off the fire from his Transer, and helped the other boy up. "Ushijima! Ushijima, wake up!"

To Izuku's relief, Ushijima was still barely conscious, and loudly coughed out remnants of the sludge. "Ah… D-Deku? No, Midoriya. What are you—?"

"No time, we have to get out of here before the villain comes to."

Ushijima's eyes shot open, noticing the gunk starting to form. "Uh, yeah, good plan!"

Izuku pulled his arm to help Ushijima up, struggling to do so with his own scrawny arms. He was barely able to pull the Bison boy up, who then easily plucked Izuku up with his thick arm and sling him over his shoulder like a bag. Mild shock and embarrassment aside, Izuku was impressed at not how strong Ushijima was, but how _fast_ he was too. He barely had enough time to grab his things as they left the scene; plushie and flashlight aside, the All Might Hero Card inside the media player was an Ultra Rare collectible. He couldn't imagine losing even a common card, though.

But there was still a problem. "W-Wait! We need to take the stairs! We're on the second floor!"

Either Ushijima didn't hear Izuku or ignored his complaint, for he kept running straight down the hall, with a T-intersection wall coming ever closer to them.

"Ushijimaaaa-!" Izuku wailed, but the bovine boy kept running head-first forward.

And then suddenly started to skid across the floor, while also pulling back his free arm for a punch. He stopped just in front of the wall, with enough momentum behind his punch to blow the entire window clean off.

After that, Ushijima set Izuku, frozen stiff but blinking, back down to the floor. Curiously, Izuku looked outside to see a drop to the side road by the school, which looped around the back field without going through the building.

"The stairs would take too long," the bigger student said. "We'll jump out from here."

"Are you crazy?!" Izuku cried. There had to be a better way than this! But no, Ushijima just jumped through the hole in the wall and fell like a lead weight.

To Izuku's surprise, he landed squarely on the ground no worse for wear, causing a bit of an impact with his feet sinking in. He looked up back to the second-floor hole he had made and called out to Izuku with cupped hands over his mouth. "Now it's your turn, Midoriya!"

"I can't make a jump this high!" Rushing into a danger zone was one thing, but he didn't have enhanced muscles from a Quirk to withstand a two-story jump.

"I'll catch you! Trust me!" Ushijima insisted, with arms wide.

For some reason, Izuku flinched back. "Trust me." Those words struck a sudden fear inside him. He barely knew Gonta Ushijima and thought him to be kind of a muscle-bound bully, but was he really a nice guy deep down? Or trying to repay him for rescuing him?

But before his train of thought completely overtook him, Izuku shook his head and focused. No time to analyze all this. Even if he didn't completely trust Ushijima, it was better than being stuck with the villain. With that in mind, he stepped back for a running start, ready to jump—

BLOMB!

Only to skid to a halt when the opening on the wall was suddenly blocked by a giant green-grey blob. His only escape was gone, but he had no time to dwell on that.

STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!

Izuku barely had time to duck and roll away before a mass of slime splattered where he once stood. Without looking back, he pushed himself away and ran through a different turn in the hallway, adrenaline forcing himself to keep going.

"You little shit! Do you know how hard it is for me to find a strength-augmented Quirk anymore?!"

The recovered Gel Devil was furious. If it didn't show in his raging tone, the reckless abandon of shooting gunk as he ran certainly did. With how malleable the slime was, Izuku didn't know if they were meant to stop him or kill him, but he sure didn't want to find out. He made sure to zig-zag left and right as he ran, anything to make the villain's aim that much harder.

But his luck ran out as the end of the path he took was a dead-end, and not a door or flight of stairs in sight. In vain, he tried punching the wall, hoping he could break through it like Ushijima. Nothing happened… except hurting his hand.

Gel Devil grew larger, blocking the ceiling and sides of the hallway with his slimy visage. "I could take getting most of the good kids with Quirks taken away by those D-listers, but not losing that Bison boy! Not to some damn _Quirkless nobody!_"

_So, this is how I die_, Izuku thought: trying to be a hero and paying for it in blood. He had always knew that this was the reality for him, but he felt a bit happy regardless. He got to do something he always wanted, even for a moment. Be a hero.

At least Ushijima was safe. That had to count for something… right? Would he even remember him? Or think he was an idiot for getting himself killed? Maybe not, but that was fine in the end.

Slimy appendages all closed in on him, intent on pulling him into the larger body. "I'll make you my hostage to get those damn 'Heroes' off my back, lay low, and try again in another city. I've worked too hard to lose everything I've got, and if I have to start over just to survive, so be it."

No… he was going to keep killing? This villain wasn't going to stop, was he? Would All Might stop him in time? The fear of a villain hurting others scared Izuku more than his own mortality. This couldn't be the extent of his actions! A mere roadblock! But he could do nothing but shake pathetically as it grew darker and harder to breathe.

"Shooting~ BUSTER!"

As sudden as the faint battlecry only Izuku heard, a beam of cerulean light pierced through the villain from a diagonal slant. The force was so powerful that it caused Gel Devil to explode again. "GROAUAAAAA!"

Izuku blinked, barely registering a trace of gunk splattering on his cheek before wiping it off. Where did that light come from? It had to be from a Hero, but he had never heard of a Quirk that could phase light through solid walls, let alone an ultimate move phrase like that. He felt like he had seen that attack somewhere before though.

"And THAT'S how you properly rescue someone, kid! Now we're even."

Gawking, Izuku slipped his Vizualizer on to see a familiar figure hovering where Gel Devil once stood. Confident, arms folded, and a tad bit of smugness gave him a perfect heroic image. "Omega-san!"

The grin slipped a bit. "Hey now, I told you it's 'Omega-Xis'. At least get my full name right, or just cut off the honorifics."

"S-Sorry! It's just improper to say otherwise, and—!"

"Compared to getting it wrong? Next thing you're going to do is call me Mega for short."

"I wouldn't do that, I swear!"

"Hey, I'm just saying. Not that I would mind, anyway."

They would have kept arguing, but the gunk of Gel Devil's remains started to move. Izuku flinched while Omega tensed, ready to flee and attack respectively. But the sludge completely ignored them and zipped down the hallway, not even reforming yet.

"He's… gone?" Did the Gel Devil seriously just leave him alone like this? Izuku felt relieved, but also confused. Did the villain suddenly decide that he wasn't worth killing and escape?

"Whatever, we don't have time for this," Omega said as he turned to leave. "Follow me. I know where the stairs are."

An epiphany struck the boy as he called out to the alien. "Wait a minute! We can't just leave him!"

Omega barely offered him a glance as he kept moving. "You do know he tried to kill you, right? Not to mention how he left first."

"But someone has to stop him! Otherwise he'll go and hurt other people!"

"That's what heroes are for, aren't they? There're hundreds of them all around the world doing this kind of thing, every day."

"That's just it, though! The heroes Kamui Woods and Death Arms! They're still stuck in his gunk!"

Omega hummed, recalling that he did see some men in costumes indeed stuck in the villain's muck. He still shook his head. "They knew what they were getting into when they became heroes, and they have safety in numbers now that some fire hose hero showed up too. They can handle this—"

"No, they won't!"

Omega stopped, and fully turned around. He saw Izuku shaking and fighting back tears with a frown. No… he was scowling with anger and determination.

His hand reached to the rim of the Visualizer, almost cradling it. "I know I'm Quirkless, and that I'd never be able to rescue someone. But I'm tired of just waiting for someone to rescue me. Just this once, I… I want to be a hero!"

If his words were supposed to be a moving speech to sway or pity onlookers, Omega felt neither. His glare was still piercing as he casually retorted, "But you're not a hero, Izuku."

He flinched at the words. They were blunt, spoken so casually, but… not spoken out of disbelief or pity. They were stating a simple truth, to make sure he knew.

But he always knew deep down what he wanted.

"I know but… I just can't stand by and let other people die if I can't help it, can I?"

For a long moment, Omega stared at him, his deep red eyes peering into his soul as if calling him out on a bluff. Izuku stared right back.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you," he said finally, to Izuku's surprise. "I just need you to be clear with me: are you sure you want to do this? To walk the path of a hero?"

Izuku hesitated, but only for a moment. He didn't need to think back on All Might's smile, or his dad's encouraging words. He thought that he had given up his dream years ago, but deep down he never did, and he knew the answer in his heart. "Yes!"

"Then here we go," the alien said, before flexing his arms back. "EM Wave Change!"

In the moment Omega flew into him, Izuku felt a shocking prick from contact, before the rest of his body turned numb and his senses were overloaded with a bright blue flash.

When the light faded, Izuku felt like his body was in a constricting vice with weights. He looked at his right hand, outfitted with a light blue gauntlet around the wrist and forearm. Looking down, he noticed a dark blue bodysuit with a plate over his chest and green lines running along his sides. Further down he now wore light blue greaves with knee guards. Yet everything looked off, like he was wearing jade colored glasses… or a green-tinted visor over his eyes. It was attached to a round blue and white helmet with ear guards and covered only the front of his head, as most of the back hair on his head was exposed.

Izuku could scarcely believe it. Why did he suddenly look like a Pro Hero? "I… what happened?!"

"We synced wave lengths and changed into this form."

"'We'? Omega, where are—" Izuku paled as he looked down to his left hand. Instead of a matching blue gauntlet, he saw a scary looking head sticking out where his hand should be, with an eerie green flame obscuring part of his arm.

Then it turned without his input and stared at him with beady red eyes. "Now Izuku, if we're going to do this, we must—"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Naturally Izuku panicked and screamed. With some rapid flailing of the arm for good measure. "GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!"

"STooOOOooop iiIIIIIttt! IIiI aaaAAMM GeeeETTiiinG DiiiiIIIIZzzyyyYYY!"

"O-Omega?!" Izuku blinked, finally realizing who it was. But that just raised more questions and concerns. "WHY ARE YOU ON MY HAND?!"

"I'm not _on_ your hand, I _am_ your hand," Omega-Xis explained flatly, partly from the shaking. "Trust me, I'm as put off by this form as you are. This is so demeaning."

"Yeah, but, why the hand? Why my _left _hand? Why in this form?" Izuku asked, before he trailed off looking absently down at his free dominant hand. "Maybe it was subconsciously aware that the right hand was my dominant hand and split the control to my left. It's like an overlayer fusion with your metal and composition over mine, but not a complete fusion where we share all the same traits to become a hybrid. Does this mean we are half human and half wave? Phasing and stability could be a problem if we're not compatible—"

"AHEM." A loud "cough" from Izuku's hand stopped him from getting too sidetracked. "As much as I appreciate how serious you're taking this Wave Change, we have time to go over it later. Unless you're having second thoughts about the villain, that is."

* * *

Gel Devil didn't know what the hell that kid did to him, but he wasn't going to stay and find out. He wasted so much time just trying to scrape up some new Quirks and got deformed twice for his troubles. By the same Quirkless brat. And the worst part, most of the reformed gel he called back had no kids to speak of, so the cops and heroes must have rescued them all while he was distracted.

Well screw it. He knew when it was time to run like hell. The kid was a mystery he didn't have time to deal with, and if he was going to get any Quirks out of this, it might as well be from the D-listers. For that, he recalled all of the still sizable chunks of his gel mass around the school to come back. He couldn't leave any trace behind for the cops or heroes to track him.

But just as he reformed enough to reach the bottom floor, he saw _another _hero spraying them off with water to try and blow the muck off of them. The wooden hero was nearly free, but the foreman guy's lower half was still bound.

Fine. One out of two would do.

"He's back!" Kamui Woods cried out, noticing the villain first.

"Hold him off until All Might gets here!" Backdraft said, turning his hose to him.

"I don't have time for this shit!" Gel Devil roared, putting most of his mass into his right limb and swinging it in a wide arc forward. The attack was enough to knock both heroes away easy, giving him just enough time to drag the foreman hero closer.

To his credit, he used his titular arms to smash through the tiles in an attempt to stop the gel pulling him, but it was a stalling tactic at best. This was fine; no one else was going to take Gel Devil's consolation prize.

But just as he was about to grab Death Arms and bind him inside, his arm exploded courtesy of a piercing blue light.

"SONUVA-!" Gel Devil roared, more in shock than pain. He had Pain Inhibitor to thank for that, but the attack still came out of nowhere. No, it came from behind him… and he saw a small boy wearing a blue helmet with two white marks (a hexagon and a thin arrow underneath) with a wolf-like glove and matching helmet marks, smoking and pointed at him.

"You… you won't get away with this, villain!" the boy shouted. It was weak as far as any heroic banter went, but the intent was clear; he wanted to fight. A part of him thought the boy sounded familiar, but Gel Devil was too enraged and stressed to think on what-ifs.

It was one thing after another. Setback after setback. Constantly losing his well-deserved rewards because some moral glory-seeking _heroes _just had to keep getting in his way. And he had finally lost the last vestiges of his patience.

"Fine! You want to die so badly!?" Gel Devil roared, expanding to a rounder, bulkier body. "I'll kill you myself!"

Izuku's legs nearly buckled as the villain changed form. A malleable villain like him could potentially survive any kind of blow, so what chance did _he _have?! What could he even do? That blaster attack had come from Omega's mouth!

"Focus and dodge, boy!"

Omega's sharp instruction snapped him out of his anxiety, just in time to see several lumps of Gel Devil's body flying towards him. On instinct, he rolled forward just before the part of the hall he stood on was wrecked by sludge. If he could close the distance and punch this villain—

No, he was a living muck monster, and not even Death Arms' punches could get through his defense. What else was there?

"Stay back and keep firing!"

Oh, right!

_Pew Pew Pew!_

It was odd firing from his left arm, but whether it was luck or Omega's own guidance, his shots were true. Light blue lasers were fired with the force and recoil of a revolver, out of his makeshift "gun arm", towards Gel Devil's body and blowing out portions of his body. Izuku had to admit that it felt so awesome to be strong enough to do _this _to an evil villain.

Only for Gel Devil's body to regenerate just like before, and only succeeding in making him mad enough to roar. Then it was just scary. "It's not working!" Izuku cried to his possessed hand.

"Not every battle is won in a decisive hit!" Omega said. "We'll win through attrition!"

"We still need to hit him with something harder!" Izuku argued. "But don't you have something better?!"

"Hey, _I__'__m_ the one pulling our weight here! I need more fuel to convert into energy, like radio waves or circuitry!"

"Circuitry?" Izuku echoed. One thing immediately came to mind when he heard that word. It was a long shot, but was it possible to—?

"DODGE!"

Izuku stopped thinking and jumped to the side, barely avoiding Gel Devil's whole mass being morphed into a misshapen orb and lunging towards him. As expected, it landed on the floor with a splat. But then the villain's upper body reformed, and he swiped his hand towards Izuku as the boy leaped back.

"A ranged hero, huh? Well take THIS!" Gel Devil growled as blots of his body flew out towards Izuku like bullets.

"Keep firing!"

_Pew Pew Pew!_

Izuku felt like he was on autopilot; whatever order Omega barked, he followed right away. He couldn't think of a better strategy, much less anything else, so he shot at any blot he could while dodging the rest. His reaction speed felt so much faster in this new form, so it was surprisingly easy for him to stay unharmed.

Finally, the barrage stopped. And Gel Devil was nowhere to be found. Did he do it? Had he destroyed enough of the blots that he couldn't reform in time?

WHAM!

"GAAH!" Izuku slammed into a row of lockers after a heavy blow smacked him across the back.

"Ha! Gets 'em every time!"

Izuku looked up to see Gel Devil looming over him with an enlarged, hardened fist cocked back. He'd attacked him from behind, but he couldn't have gotten there so fast from across the hall.

Unless… the villain split his form intentionally bit by bit to reform behind Izuku.

"Okay," Omega groaned from their downed position. "Maybe we _do_ need a stronger attack."

"I got an idea, but we need him blasted, or even distracted, for a few seconds. Can't you use that Shooting Buster move from earlier?" Izuku whispered back, almost worried that he couldn't do that same miracle again.

But Omega's grin put those worries to ease. "Exactly what I was thinking to do. Aaaaand FIRE!"

_PEWWWWM!_

Izuku's clawed arm shot up and fired a larger, stronger energy blast. Gel Devil immediately guarded, putting most of his gel bulk at the front to form a thick shield in front of his now thin body. It punched a big indent in the shield, but it didn't pierce through and left him still standing.

It was all the time Izuku needed as he reached for his bag, still on his person despite the EM fusion, and pulled out his card player. "All Might, execute!"

Without thinking, Izuku tossed the ejected card into the air, and Omega snatched it in his maw. Electricity flowed through them almost instantly, and power swelled inside beyond a mere Net Battle simulation. Izuku knew that All Might was strong, and that this card could never truly match up to his eclipsing strength, but it amazed him to feel just a fraction of his power like this.

Power that in anyone else's hands could have crushed them from backlash.

"Yeah, now this is what I'm talking about!" Omega roared. "We only get one shot at this, so make it count!"

"Right!" Izuku nodded, already channeling the power into his clenched right fist. And then he dashed forward.

"Is that all you—" Gel Devil taunted, only to stop as he looked past his shield. "…got?"

The villain expected him to stay back with more energy shots, so he was taken aback when Izuku rushed towards him instead. There was only one hero he knew that had the power to punch through such dense mud, and this brat was now channeling him. He leaped forward until he was above Gel Devil, and reenacted his hero in action—

"Detroit…"

– just thrust his fist down, harder than any punch he'd made before.

"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!"

* * *

From the other side of the hall, a strong gale of wind blew towards the heroes. If not for them bracing in time, they would have been sent careening all the way to the end of the hall. And quick as the wave came, it ended.

It came from where Gel Devil was fighting that blue gunner hero. In mutual agreement, the heroes rushed to the scene, prepared for the worst.

What they saw was nothing they would have expected. Gel Devil was slumped into a caved crater in the floor, now a slump with most of his upper body exploded and covering the walls next to him. Whatever that last attack was, the blow was so hard that it not only splattered him to pieces, but it seemingly gave him a concussion and left him vulnerable.

But there was no one else there.

"Is it… over?" Backdraft asked, looking warily for anything else. Almost hesitantly, he lifted his hose to spray the villain's body, but he did not react. "We'll need to contain him before he wakes up."

"Did All Might finally show up?" Kamui Woods asked. "That last attack felt like something he would do."

"I doubt it," Death Arms grumbled. "He always announces his appearance by shouting 'I am here'. We don't know anything about the blue guy, though, and he was the one last seen fighting this villain."

Suddenly, a weak cough echoed in the room. "S-Someone…?"

The heroes dropped everything and rushed to the source. Death Arms tossed aside gravel and lockers to reach it. Hiding from within the debris was a green haired boy lying on his side. He was gritting his teeth and clutching his right arm, bruised so badly that the skin was almost completely brown.

"What happened?" Backdraft asked.

"I… I got hurt trying to get away," the boy explained. "The villain tried to kill me until a blue hero came in."

"What blue hero?"

"Uh, Oh…mega-san—" the boy started, before stopping and trailing off.

Kamui Woods blinked. "What was that? 'Mega Man'?"

"Uh… yeah! Th-That's what he called himself!" the boy nodded vigorously, as if in recognition of the name.

Woods exchanged glances with both Death Arms and Backdraft, neither of whom had any idea of who this kid was talking about. "Was there another Pro Hero transfer here or something?"

"Could be someone from the Maverick Hunter Agency," Backdraft pondered.

"We'll look into it later," Death Arms promised, before turning back to the kid. "Do you know where this 'Mega Man' is now?"

"He… he said his work was done here so he'd let the other heroes handle things."

"One more question," he asked, kneeling down to look him in the eye. This whole attack was scary to the students being in the middle of it all, and part of a Pro Hero's job was to make sure they were all right, physically and mentally. One didn't simply become a hero without some case of empathy, after all. "Are you all right?"

"Y-Yes sir, I'll be fine."

Arms sighed with relief, standing back up. "That's good," he said softly. Before he banged his construction knuckles together and stared angrily down on him. "Because you are in _so much trouble,_ you little dumbass!"

"H-Huh?"

"Don't 'huh?' me! You were the kid that ran through the police barricade outside! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"B-But I'm a student! I didn't run in, I was stuck inside!"

"Then where's your uniform?" Woods pointed out dryly.

He had no answer to that, which was telling enough, and they soon got a name out of him. Izuku Midoriya could only panic and utter weak apologies as the Pro Heroes, and later the police force, gave him a thorough dressing down.

* * *

In the end, All Might never showed up. And the one who stopped Gel Devil, Mega Man, had vanished without a trace. The day was saved, but it was hard to tell if Mega Man was a true hero as he didn't even stay to announce himself like any other Pro would. A Pro Hero lived and died by their fame, and even obscure ones at least left behind their name or some kind of calling card.

Leaving after the fight was over was something a vigilante would do.

As everyone gossiped about what that could mean, Izuku quickly left the school premises before he got any more unwanted attention, especially from someone like Kacchan or Shirogane. He would have left sooner, but the arguing, questioning, and first aid on his arm dragged things out longer than he thought.

_At least Omega-san and I are safe_.

He didn't mean to let such a name slip out like that, but the similar sounding alias might throw them off. If everyone was mad enough just for endangering himself, then he could only imagine the reaction of learning he was the mysterious hero.

With the sun setting and on the familiar route home, Izuku was about ready to put this awkward day behind him.

"'Mega Man'… you couldn't think of anything else? Like Rockman?"

Izuku flushed, glancing down at his Transer on his good arm. "I-I panicked! It sounded better than any name I could think of on short notice!"

Omega-Xis stared back at him through the plastic screen, humming in thought. He'd latched onto Izuku's device as soon as the fight ended for some reason, almost acting like a NetNavi of old. It relieved Izuku that he didn't leave again right away, but what did that make them? Partners?

"Well, as far as hero names go, it's not a bad choice, I guess," Omega said. "But you need to think twice next time before using a Hero Card that powerful. If it weren't for me, your entire right arm would have exploded."

Izuku only weakly nodded, looking to his cast in a sling. It was convenient to excuse the injury as a run-in with the villain rather than self-inflicted. He felt guilty about lying, but it wasn't like anyone would believe a Quirkless boy would suddenly awaken to a Quirk, no matter how short-lived the experience.

But if it hurt that much just using an imitation of All Might's power… maybe he wasn't cut out to be a hero after all.

"So… what now?" he asked to his Transer. "Shouldn't you go out to find All Might?"

"I told you already, didn't I? I need a mediator to help the meeting out, and that's you."

"And I told you I'm not cut out for this. I'm just a Quirkless loser."

"You know, for a 'Quirkless loser', you did some amazing things back there. Rushing to save a kid you didn't know, distracting the villain with a toy and video, you even stood your ground and fought him head on.."

"But… that was only because I had your help."

"And in turn, you helped me. We made a good team out there," Omega said. "But more importantly, it was the fact that you acted not because you thought you could handle it, but that you had to regardless. You should be proud of yourself, Izuku."

Izuku stopped walking. There it was again; that unsettling feeling back at the alley. "Omega… how do you know my name?"

"Your dad told me."

Omega admitted to that so casually, but it rocked Izuku to his core. "You're lying," he uttered softly. So numb, so used to having his hopes crushed before, he scarcely refused to believe there was still a chance. "There's no way you could possibly—"

"No, really," Omega told him. "Hisashi Midoriya. Black spiky hair, big stupid grin on his face, obsessed on astrology, and he has a fire-breathing quirk. Calls it 'Kelvin Plus', I think."

No way... there was just no way. Could it-?!

"You… you know my dad?!" Izuku's eyes widened, leaning as close as he could to the Transer screen. "Tell me! What happened to him and the other astronauts? Where is the Peace station? Is… is he still alive?!"

Omega stared back for a long moment. The silence was killing Izuku inside, and he felt a lump of unease grow in him. Finally, the alien looked away. "I can't say for sure, since it's been a while since I last saw him."

"Oh…" Of course. It was pointless to hope. His dad would be dead by now, lost for three years in space.

"But chances are… yeah, he's still alive. They all are."

Still alive… his dad was still alive? Was it really possible? He couldn't think of what to say, but tears welled in his eyes.

"Tell you what," said Omega. "If you help me find All Might, I'll tell you everything I know about Hisashi."

"You'd… you'd really do that? Promise?" Izuku asked. All of this felt too good to be true.

The alien still refused to look him in the eye, but his angular face softened as he replied, "I promise, Izuku. I owe your dad that much."

Izuku nodded, slumped down to his knees, and started to cry. He couldn't help it. He had all but given up the last three years. But so long, in this simply miraculous moment, things were looking up.

For once, he felt what it was like to be a Hero.

For once, he had someone he could confine to as a friend.

And for once, he had hope he could see his dad again.

* * *

A/N: and thus the dynamic duo is formed. It took a while writing this up and setting up the starter villain Gel Devil (made to be an homage to Yellow Devil, right down to the botched civilian name I gave him), but things from here should be a bit simpler.

Also, this story gets a cool new cover courtesy of The Aeon Offspring. Hope you guys like it as much as I did (and I waited until the new chapter to share this as a cover too).


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